at least on random maps, the Rampart respawn is rich... there are dwellings for high-level creatures too... and as for crystals - yes... that's sometimes a real disaster, although dwarf mines are not uncommon.. plus when generating a random map, I usually set crystals as an additional resource at the start... and I recommend it to everyone))))))))
centaurs are strong, not least because of their speed; I don't take dwarves at the beginning at all.. they are just too slow.
of the spells that I most frequently have while playing Rampart, I'd highlight Slow and Blind(??)... everything is clear with Slow - elves will shoot down even a strong unit... but as for Blind, which appears in 7-8(!!!) out of 10 games for me as Rampart, it's a bit unclear.. fire magic for the Rampart hero (ranger) is a rarity, if not more..
but it's a fact!!! Blind helps a lot even without the same sphere's magic skill.